Real Deal

Ranjan Bhowmick,executive producer of Alamara Films,credited for making the Flying Machine ad,was sure that having Shroff in the ad will do the trick. “The ads have to suit the image of the brand. For a company targetting the youth,we needed young and unusual achievers on board,” he says. That’s the reason the other Flying Machine ads have lead vocalist of a Delhi-based Hindi rock band,I P Singh,and street dancer Sreetharen. “It’s a refreshing change and nice way of connecting with the youth of today .”

However,Bhowmick is not the only one to implement such ideas. Other ad agencies and brands too are keen on showcasing fresh,lesser-known celebrities as the face of their commercials. What makes these ads special is the Bollywood and cricketer fatigue. The last decade has seen an overdose of popular Bollywood actors and cricketers such as Shah Rukh Khan,Amitabh Bachchan,Sachin Tendulkar,Mahendra Singh Dhoni hoarding screen space with their ad campaigns for various brands — starting from toothpaste,life insurance policies to potato chips. “The most important thing in an ad is the idea — not the face of a so-called celebrity. If the idea works,then the ad too will work,” says R Balki,filmmaker and chairman of the advertising agency Lowe Lintas.

Bringing forth an achiever’s personality seems to be the motive in the latest Mahindra Xylo ad. Here,one of India’s most-sought after fashion photographers,Atul Kasbekar,is seen photographing leggy models,putting photography equipment in the vehicle and moving from one location to another. “I was reluctant to be a part of an ad. But when I was told that I was going to appear as myself — Atul Kasbekar,the photographer — I agreed,” he says. The ad has been shot by Mumbai-based ad agency Mad Entertainment Limited and Sunil Manchanda,maker of the ad,has a ready explanation for this trend. “Just the way Indian movies are undergoing a change,the ads too are getting more and more realistic. The audience no longer want to be in a fantasy land that the high-flying celebrities push in the ads. They want to see someone they can relate to,” Manchanda says.

Those seeking further endorsement of this trend can check out new Ariel ads. Designer Manish Malhotra is the new face of the Ariel ads along with ex-policewoman,Kiran Bedi. The ace designer says,“The ad connected with me and the viewers alike as it was about preservation of garments and keeping them clean.”

Connecting with the viewers has also made admakers zero in on Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy,vocalist of metal band Scribe. During the India-Australia series in 2010,Havell’s geyser ad which featured a bearded man attempting to save electricity by not using the microwave to heat food and not watching TV. The ad got a lot of attention and so did Krishnamoorthy,who incidentally is an adman too. “Though star-centred ads still work,I sense a change in the ad world. All celeb ads tend to look alike and it’s at this juncture that you need a dose of creativity with a locally-known or fairly-renowned face,” says Sanju Ayappa of Footcandles Films,credited for making the Havell’s ad.